An object of the invention is a battery-operated welding and/or cutting device.
An object of the invention is also a cooling profile.
Previously known are various portable welding devices, which are easily carried along even in awkward working locations, These portable welding devices are powered by connecting them to an ordinary electric outlet or to a generator. Thus, the welding device is then easy to take along, but at the work location proper, there will always be a connection by cable to a power supply, which limits the operation and the operating radius.
Previously known are also some battery-operated welding devices. Such battery-operated welding devices are disclosed in the publications WO 2009/029360 A1 and EP 1 852 206 A2.
From the publication WO 2009/029360 A1, a battery-operated welding device is known, which is provided in a trunk-like case such, that the welding device is easily portable from one location to another. In the invention according to the publication, the welding means and the battery needed for their operation are provided in the case, which protects them during transportation. According to the publication, also wire feeding means, means needed for recharging the battery and cooling means can be provided in the case. In battery-operated devices, heating of the batteries may constitute a problem, which, in this publication, has been solved by providing, in the upper portion of the case, a fan and a wind tunnel, which, with the air, removes battery-induced heat.
From the publication EP 1 852 206 A2, a cableless welding device and a cableless cutting device are known. The device according to the publication contains a first and a second battery, which are connected in parallel. However, the publication does not disclose any cooling of the batteries.
From the publication US 2011/0045326 A1, a device and a method for cooling a battery module are known. In the solution according to the publication, the battery module comprises a casing, in which the battery is provided, and means for cooling the battery such that cooling fluid is being conducted into the casing through at least one input and cooling fluid is being conducted out through at least one output, which cooling fluid can be pressurized air.
A problem in battery-operated devices, and particularly in welding and/or cutting devices requiring large momentary battery power, is the positioning of the batteries in the device in such a way that the heat produced by them would not cause problems to the device, the battery itself, nor to the user of the device. On the other hand, a problem is also, that a battery-operated welding and/or cutting device should be as small as possible, in order to being easily portable, and then there is no space for proper cooling means in the device. For a battery-operated device there is always a desire for as long as possible an operation time without mains current, as well as for as long as possible a lifetime for the battery. As batteries heat excessively, their lifetime is reduced, and then they have to be replaced sooner There may also be problems in regard to fire safety, since some battery chemistry is unstable when heated. Portable devices are designed to have small dimensions for ease of use, and then there is no desire to leave superfluous space around the batteries. Then the batteries will be located close to each other in the device causing local heating in the device lacking proper cooling. As the batteries heat up, the heat is transferred into their vicinity, and then also the device itself may get hot causing damage to the structures or indirectly causing a skin burn to the user of the device. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of the ease of use of battery-operated welding and/or cutting devices, there is a desire to keep the size of the device as small as possible, and then there is no space to be found for a separate cooling device.